Elevator-gate.



No. 786,311. PATENTED APR. 4, 1905.

- W. N. PHILLIMORB.

ELEVATOR GATE;

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 5, 1904.

i an oauto'c Witneowo UNITED STATES Patented. April 4, 1905.

PATENT WVALTER N. PHILLIMORE, QF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO W ALTER W. OOD, OF HONESDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELEVATOR-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,311, dated April 4,1905. Application filed August 5,1904. Serial No. 219,650.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, WALTER N. PHILLIMORE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the countyof Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Elevator-Gates, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to elevator-gates, and

more particularly to the vertically-moving Io gates commonly employedwith freight-elevators, and has for its object to provide an improvedmeans for retaining each of said gates in its raised or open positionwhile the elevator is at its floor and for automatically I 5 releasingsaid gate when the elevator leaves its floor. This object I accomplishin the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l isan elevation of a gate and its framework and attachments embodying myimproved construction. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation of aportion of the framework and the elevator-car. Fig. 3 is a similar viewtaken at a right angle to Fig. 2. Fig.

4 is a detail vertical sectional view of the lower end of thecounterweight and its attached locking mechanism. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsectional view of the framework containing the counterweight and also aportion of the elevator-car.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalviews.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 3 5 1 denotes the frameworkof the elevator-well, and 2 the elevator-car. -Vertically movable onslides 3 is the gate 4, the same being connected with the usualcounterweight 5 by means of cord 6 passing over pulleys 7, as

shown. Pivoted near their upper ends at 8 in the lower end of thecounterweight 5 are the twin jaws 9, having their lower ends roundedinwardly at 10 and terminating in the horizontal shoulders 12 and alsohaving their sides rounded or ehamfered at 11. The upper ends of saidtwin jaws 9 are normally acted on by the spring 13 to force them apart,and thus retain said jaws inthe position shown in Fig. 4.

Mounted on lugs 14 on the elevator-car side 5 of that portion of theframework 1 containing the counterweight 5 is a star-wheel 15, the'samebeing adapted to rotate freely on its pivot and being so positioned thatone of its arms will always extend through the slot 16 in the framework1 and into the path of travel of the counterweight 5.

Fixed to the side of the elevator-car 2 is a vertical plate 17, sopositioned that as the car passes the star-wheel 15 said plate will liein the path of rotation of the arms of said starwheel, and thus preventits rotation.

From the above description the operation of my improved constructionwill be understood to be as follows: WV hen the car 2 is away 5 from thefloor of door 4, the latter may be raised until when in its openposition the twin jaws 9 on the lower end of counterweight 5 passstar-wheel; but as the latter is freely rotatable on its pivot 14 itwill offer no ob- 7o struction to the movement of the counterweight 5,so that the door 4, which is slightly heavier than its counterweight,will when released automatically descend to the closed position, thusinsuring its closure except when positively held lifted; but as the car2 approaches the floor of door 4 the vertical plate 17 thereon will passinto the path of rotation of star-wheel 15, as shown in Fig.

2, and thus prevent further rotation of the same, retaining one of thearms of said starwheel fixed in the path of travel of the rounded lowerends 10 of twin jaws 9. Now when the gate 4 is lifted to the openposition to permit ingress to or egress from the car 2 the contact ofthe rounded lower ends 10 of twin jaws 9 with the projecting arm ofstar-wheel 15 will cause said jaws to separate against the tension ofspring 13 until said arm of the star-wheel passes above the shoulders 12on said twin jaws 9, when the latter will again be forced together byspring 13. Now with the described parts in this position the arm ofstar-wheel 15 by its engagement with the shoulders 12 of twin jaws 9will prevent any upward movement of said twin jaws and their attachedcounterweight 5 and will thus retain the gate 4 in the raised or openposition,

as will be readily understood. When, how" ever, the car 2 is moved awayfrom said floor in either direction, the consequent passage of plate 14,carried by said car, from contact with the star-wheel 15 will instantlypermit the latter to rotate freely, thus releasing twin jaws 9 andcounterweight 5, whereupon the weight of the gate 4. will cause it toagain descend or close automatically. Should the gate 4 be lifted to apoint where the twin jaws 9 are dropped sufficiently to cause thestarwhecl 15 to contact with them if rotated by contact with the plate17 the rounded or chamfered sides 11 of said jaws will permit thepassage of the arm of the star-wheel therebetween without danger ofbreaking any of the parts.

It will thus be seen that the described construction combines certaintyof operation with simplicity of structure and at the same time ispractically incapable of getting out of order or of being broken.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In an elevator, the combination withthe car thereof, of a gate, a star-wheel adapted to be contacted with bysaid gate or its connected parts when said gate is open, said star-wheelbeing normally freely rotatable, and means on the car for engaging saidstar-wheel to prevent its rotation, said star-wheel when thus held beingadapted to retain said gate.

2. In an elevator, the combination with the car thereof, of a gate, aweight partially counterbalaneing said gate, a star-wheel adapted to becontacted with by said weight when the gate is open, said star-wheelbeing normally freely rotatable, and means on the car for engaging saidstar-wheel to prevent its rotation, said star-wheel when thus held beingadapted to engage and retain said counterweight.

/ 3. In an elevator, the combination with the car thereof, of a gate, aweight partially counterbalancing said gate, a star-wheel adapted to becontacted with by said weight when the gate is open, said star-wheelbeing normally freely rotatable, and a plate on the car for engagingsaid star-wheel to prevent its rotation, said star-wheel when thus heldbeing adapted to engage and retain said counterweight.

4. In an elevator, the combination with the car thereof, of a gate, aweight partially counterbalancing said gate, twin jaws carried by saidweight and normally spring-pressed together, a star-wheel lying in thepath of travel of said twin jaws as said gate reaches the open position,said star-wheel being normally freely rotatable, and a plate on the carfor engaging said star-wheel to prevent its rotation, said star-wheelwhen thus held being adapted to force apart and engage said twin jaws toretain the same and the gate in the open position. In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

WVALTER N. PHILLIMORE. WVitnesses:

\VM. H. SHRYOCK, MILTON WOLF.

